The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) appears to have failed to meet a June 2004 deadline set by the World Bank (WB) for construction of nine steel over-bridges.

The DCC, which agreed to complete the structures costing Tk. nine crore within 10 months, gave the work order to a construction company in September 2002.

But the WB had to extend the deadline for a further 10 months after work fell behind theAugust2003 completion date.

The DCC points the blame at a number of factors.

"We have failed to meet the deadline because the Roads and Highways Department (R & H) could not ensure sites for the over-bridges. We have also received a number of legal notices and complaints from land owners," said a DCC executive engineer.

In a bid to cover up its own inefficiency, the DCC is now holding the construction company responsible for the delays.

"It's too late to cancel the order now because of the construction company's mishandling."

The construction company however

disagree. "We are behind schedule only because the DCC has not provided us enough locations or been specific in the kind of designs it wants," said an official of the company.

Originally nine bridges were to be built near Dhanmondi Boys School, Muscat Plaza at Uttara, Bakushah Market at Nilkhet, Farmgate Police Box, Shonir Akhra, on the intersection of Airport Road and Pragati Sarani, Bangla Motor intersection, Jonaki Cinema Hall and Banani Chairmanbari.

So far, only one over-bridge near Bakushah Market has been completed. Construction near Dhanmondi Boys School, Muscat Plaza, Farmgate Police Box, Azimpur Girls School & College and near Alfatunnisa School at Madhya Badda is in progress.

The DCC managed to convince the Bakushah Market shop owners with the help of the local ward commissioner. While work at Farmgate had to remain suspended for six months after some landowners got a High Court injunction.

Plans for over-bridge at the Bangla Motor intersection had to be shelved, as there will be zebra crossing there now.

The site at Airport Road and Pragati Sarani intersection had to be abandoned as it belongs to Roads and Highways. And it

could not provide the space before the final design of Dhaka Beautification Project.

Azimpur Girls School & College has been chosen as an alternative location.

Besides, the DCC faced problems with three other sites.

Shonir Akhra was cancelled as R&H has decided to construct an underpass. When it was decided to build an over-bridge at Manik Nagar, work had to stop following an injunction issued by the court on behalf of a land owner who objected having a bridge near his residence.

Another legal notice this time by the shop owners association of Paltan Super Market has put a halt to work at Jonaki Cinema Hall.

The Banani Chairmanbari over-bridge could not be implemented due to R&FTs beautification plan.

"Because selected sites have to changed it means we have to modify the bridge designs and take soil tests for each new location. So it just adds to our delays," said a DCC official.

Faced by innumerable delays the DCC is eyeing a fresh December 2004 deadline to build all the remaining over-bridges. It was learned that the World Bank will decide after an inspection team makes its assessment in July.